Afraid of Heights?

This Morning I was reading Habakkuk 3 and I came across “A Hymn of Faith”. As I read I though about my life and my family and how our Faith is not dependant on circumstance, but yet the circumstances will bring me closer to God. OR will they? I know they should but sometimes I don’t want to get closer.

Verse 19 says that “The LORD God is my strength ; He will make my feet like deer’s feet, and HE will make me walk on high hills.

So what this promises me is that even though it seems that I am going to fall God will make sure that he equips me and prepares me NOT to fall, but also My Faithful God will help me climb higher. So then I think… “But I’m afraid of heights! There is no way I am going to make it all the way up there with YOU LORD!”

But if I don’t climb I will not be able to see what HE wants me to SEE I will not learn what HE wants me to learn!

So today I choose to believe that God is who He said HE IS, FAITHFUL and climb to where HE is leading me.

I will not be afraid of Heights!

Thankful heart

I got the opportunity to go to El Salvador a week ago and it was an unbelievable experience. I went to one of the schools that my Father founded in 1995. I had gone to this school and visited in 2003 and I had an experience that I had forgotten but as I was walking through the school was reminded of it.
This school was established to minister to underprivileged children. These kids live with alcoholic parents in a one bedroom home and if they are lucky share one bed with the whole family. We took the student missions team to this school and we hosted a piñata party. It was exciting; these kids probably never had a party like that! We brought tons of candy and I just loved that feeling of putting a smile in the face of a child.
There came a point in this afternoon that I just happily gave all my candy away and just sat down just to ponder and thank God for this opportunity. What I had not noticed was that a kid had been watching me hand all the candy and during this time we locked eyes and I just smiled, held both hands out and said, ”sorry I don’t have anymore!” He came over and out of his pocket took out two pieces of candy and gave me one and kept the other. He then smiled and ran out and caught up to his friends and left me there with one piece of candy and a gracious heart.
This kid who I have no idea how often got free candy had given up half of his share… that night I remember just crying to God and saying thanks for the many blessing He had given me! Everything is HIS! God thank for that moment when that kid taught me what unselfishness is. That day I thought I was doing a huge thing, I thought I was doing a wonderful deed, But I was not giving up nothing that meant a lot to me, but I knew that, that candy was something that was special to that kid but yet he was willing to give it up for me and share it with me! WOW I want to have a heart like his!
A thankful heart!

The Ministry Amnesia

I have been thinking about our awesome volunteer leaders lately. It was just a year ago that we began in Homestead. We have had amazing leaders and seeing God minister to them has been awesome. I have seen leaders step out in faith, I have seen the fear of “ I am scared of doing this but I will do it”. It is at this points that God reminds us to fully trust in HIM.

So it is here that I came across Luke chapter 7:18-23. Here John the Baptist - the man who led the way for the Messiah, Jesus - the one who had Baptized Jesus…. had doubt! John had been thrown in prison and it was at this point that he began to doubt!

Can you imagine?

I would have answered … something like you are horrible I am disappointed! I cant believe you forgot what you already knew!!! How can you ever get to that POINT of doubting who I am? Did you not see what I was doing?

...But Christ in His loving and graceful way kindly replies to this;

“ Go and report to John what YOU have SEE and HEARD!”

So how does this apply to us? There are many volunteers who begin to serve and become deeply committed to the ministry. Then they begin to go through hardships… and in the midst of these hardship these doubt settles in… the thoughts of God… why is this happening? I mean was I not serving you?
So is it wrong for us to think this?
I don’t think so… I think it is something normal for us to go through… but we must NOT forget what we HAVE SEEN and HEARD!
It is when we forget that what we have SEEN and HEARD that our commitment level gets lowered!